Talking with Your Kids About Your Decision to go to Drug Rehab
Kids need to be a part of your decision to enter into a drug rehab program.
It’s never easy to accept that we have a problem and it’s especially difficult to discuss our problems and negative plights with our children. The decision to attend drug rehab for an addiction is a very important decision and it’s the first step to healing and regaining control of your life, but how does one talk with their children about their decision to seek help for addiction? You have to talk with your kids about your addiction and the reasons why you are seeking help. Here’s a look at some things to consider when you decide to discuss drug rehab with your children.
Kids Aren’t Stupid!
Although none of us actually think that our children are stupid we sometimes think that they are a little bit more naive than they truly are. Kids know more than you think they do about your drug addiction and you need to consider that before talking with them about your decision to seek drug rehab. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of your children, think about their age and how much the probably already know before talking with them about treatment.
Chances are your children have already found your drugs in the past, they have probably already seen you using drugs before or noticed your changes in attitudes when you are using and know that something is up. Begin the conversation with your children by discussing the addiction as an illness and your decision to get help. Talk with them about their feelings and ask them if they are aware of your sickness and need for help. If they say that they are, talk with them about what they feel about it and how they think you should handle things. Consider the things that they tell you and discuss with your children why you will or will not take their advice and what you think is the best thing to do.
Don’t Get too Emotional
Although talking with your children about your addiction and the decision to get help will be a very emotional time it’s important that you do not get too emotional. Allowing your emotions to take control of you or cause the conversation to become hysterical will only make matters worse. Keep yourself in control and consider how the emotions will affect your children during the conversation.
If you child or children have become emotional during the conversation, do what you can to console them. If they are angry, discuss their anger and allow them to vent. You can also discuss with them the option of getting additional help through family counseling which can be very effective for the children of those addicted to drugs or alcohol. Keep in mind that a little listening will go a long way with your children so prior to talking with them about drug rehab be prepared to listen.
Addiction is a chronic and relapsing brain disease which the NIDA describes “as a complex disorder that can involve virtually every aspect of an individual’s functioning—in the family, at work and school, and in the community.” Once a person becomes addicted to a substance such as alcohol or drugs, their lives become vicious cycles of….
Families are often the hardest hit individuals in an addict’s throws of addiction. According to the Institute of Medicine (US),”Drug abuse leads to reallocation of economic support away from the family; lack of participation in family activities, including care-giving; lack of emotional commitment and support for parents and children; and the inability to provide a….
The decisions you make in life will always have an impact on what happens next and when you decide to change your life for the better, you want to make the most out of those changes. Whether you have chosen the drug rehab for where you plan to go or not, there are some things….
Drug rehab focuses on changing behavior patterns and improving problem solving skills so that the addict can come out of drug treatment with new tools to help them overcome stressful situations without the use of drugs or alcohol. In the long term, the changed behaviors and changed way of thinking can help an addict remain….
With new designer drugs entering the market every year, coupled with the old standbys – heroin, cocaine, ecstasy – teen drug abuse rates continue to increase with each passing year. While teens still face the same pressures in terms of hormonal changes, identity development and academic performance, today’s fast-paced world only adds to the pressure….
Everybody faces challenges in their lifetime, but, what’s important is how they face those challenges and overcome them to the best of their ability. Although treatment, support, strategic coping skills, and behavioral changes are needed to overcome drug abuse and addiction, in many cases, the stigma or fear of changes attached to rehab far outweigh….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the therapeutic community is the “best-known residential treatment model,” although many individuals do not actually realize what it entails or know how long treatment even lasts. Treatment Lengths for the Therapeutic Community Model “Planned lengths of stay [for therapeutic community patients last] between 6 and 12 months.”….
Overall, it’s up to the addict to decide on when or if he or she will make a commitment to his or her own recovery but there are some steps that loved ones can do to encourage the process. One of the most important steps that family members and friends of the addict should take is to….
Eating Disorders and the Brain Eating disorders are extremely problematic to an individual and their family, especially when treatment is not received in time. Eating disorders normally stem from a person’s poor and distorted body image of their self. For example, people with anorexia typically believe they are overweight and need to lose weight, even….
Facing the difficulty of substance abuse treatment and recovery can make people look around and compare themselves to others. Sometimes, it is to make themselves feel better: “At least I don’t look like her.” Sometimes, it is out of jealousy: “Why does she look so much better than I do?” Sometimes, it is just to….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser that includes Right Path Rehab.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
